Doyle
Well we kicked off our first pre-season game under new supervision, with the mandate to try out new formations, but all the while wondering why the hell the Yank is walking around with a coach’s folder acting like he is the black Alex Ferguson.
Needless to say the ghost of AP 3’s pass came knocking, within 11 minutes we were down two (2), but for once I could satisfactorily say, it was rustiness, coupled with the quality of the opposition, and a few individual mistakes; with no one knowing each other, as the core of the team that was suppose to play, couldn’t and didn’t show up. A little tactical reshuffling, not that the Yank had anything to do with it, moving Luke Doyle back into the back and moving Gary Jones into the defensive midfield position, suddenly, we were giving them a run for their money. The yank made two changes, daring to grace us with his presence, with Stephen Payne in toe. Truth be told the Yank did inject some pace and purpose up front, and work in nice triangles with the man of the match Daniel Wilding and Callum who came from the fours for the day, always looking dangerous on
the break.
Needless to say half time came with no change!
We started the second half brightly, with Gary Jones doing a demolition job in the centre of the park, shielding the defence and the midfield from opposition strikers. The Yank spent just as much time at the back worrying about formation, when he should be trying to score a goal; he duly took himself off, claiming he was more worried about the overall team performance, after 60 minutes on the clock Ignations got another one, free header from a corner, within a few minutes we had reduce the deficit to two (2) goals, Luke Doyle heading in from close range after a well worked corner.
The game petered out as a contest with either side giving little or nothing away, with Farhad being called on a few times, to which he was more than equal to. It was a good turnout, we started as 11 strangers and towards the end, we looked a cohesive unit. More of the same boys, without the early goals conceded of course.
The Yank also managed to employ two or three different tactics throughout the game, come next week without the folder!
Star performers: Gary Jones (Midfield), Daniel Wilding (Midfield)
